The LIFX Color 1000 is a bright, colorful, and easy-to-use smart bulb that connects via Wi-Fi without the need for a hub, but it comes at a steep price.

The LIFX Color 1000 is a Wi-Fi-enabled smart bulb you can control from your phone or tablet. It doesn't require a hub like the Philips Hue, and it gets significantly brighter. It also integrates with the Amazon Echo, If This Then That (IFTTT), Nest smoke alarms and thermostats, and the Samsung SmartThings Hub, among other devices and services. But it doesn't work with Apple's HomeKit, like the Philips Hue bulbs, so you can't use Siri to control it. And at $59.99 per bulb, the LIFX Color 1000 is one of the more costly ways to outfit your home with connected lighting.

Bulb and SetupThe LIFX Color 1000 doesn't look quite like your standard, domed light bulb. It measures 4.53 inches tall and terminates in a flat top with a 2.48-inch diameter. It has a pearly white plastic cone instead of glass, and weighs a hefty 8.46 ounces. It screws in via a standard E26 Edison connection.

The bulb is capable of shining up to 1,055 lumens (equivalent to a 75-watt incandescent bulb), making it one of the brighest bulbs we've tested. It's brighter than the Hue (800 lumens), and the ability to put out so much light means that colors really pop. The Color 1000 is capable of warm to cool whites (2,500K to 9,000K), as well as millions of potential colors. The bulb is rated for 25,000 hours of life, which works out to nearly 23 years based on three hours of usage per day.

You don't need a hub to use the Color 1000, as you do with the Philips Hue bulbs. That makes setup supremely easy. Download the free LIFX app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, screw the bulb in, and switch it on. Then create a LIFX account and enter the your Wi-Fi password. The app then searches for and pairs with the bulb automatically. I paired the light with a Samsung Galaxy S6 in about a minute without any problems. You can connect up to 100 bulbs, according to LIFX.

App and PerformanceThe LIFX app has been redesigned since I last used it last testing the white-only LIFX White 800. It now has four icons at the bottom: Colors, Whites, Themes, and Effects. Select Colors or Whites, and you'll see a color wheel that lets you easily select the shade you wish to display. You can dim the light with the dial in the center of the wheel, as well as turn it off or on. No matter which action you choose, there is no delay between selecting it in the app and the bulb reacting appropriately.

If you have additional LIFX bulbs, you can arrange the lights into groups. You can also create your own scenes and themes for each light or group of lights. Tap Themes, then tap a scene, such as Sand Dune or Sunset, to change the color and brightness of the lights to match a particular mood. The colors are richest I've seen in a smart bulb, with deep reds, warm oranges, and icy, crisp blues.

The Effects menu is home to a number of fun options, like Candle Flicker, Color Cycle, Pastels, Random, and Strobe. You can easily adjust the speed and brightness of each effect. There's also a new Music Visualizer that makes the bulb react to sound, but it was a bit erratic in testing.

By pressing the plus icon in the upper right corner of the home screen, you can set schedules to make the light fade on or off at certain times of the day. And as mentioned earlier, you can also integrate the light with various other devices and services. You can connect it to the Nest Protect, for instance, to alert you of carbon monoxide detection by flashing the lights to get your attention. It also works with Amazon's voice assistant Alexa. I was able to pair the Amazon Echo Dot with the LIFX app and tell Alexa to turn the lights on and off and adjust the brightness in no time. Unlike Philips Hue bulbs, however, Apple's HomeKit isn't supported, so you can't control the lights via Siri.

Conclusions The LIFX Color 1000 bulb is brighter than the Philips Hue and just as easy to control. And aside from HomeKit support, it nearly matches the Hue ecosystem in terms of big-name third-party integration. But $60 is a lot to pay for a single bulb, especially if you're planning to put a bunch of them around your house. And if you're looking to control the bulbs using Siri, you're out of luck. Although it costs just as much, the Philips Hue remains our Editors' Choice for this reason. If you're just looking to give Wi-Fi-connected lighting a try without investing in a hub, however, the LIFX Color 1000 is a solid option.

Timothy Torres is a Junior Analyst on PCMag's consumer electronics team. He covers wearables, digital home, and various cool gadgets including the occasional video game. He has written all manner of copy for Computer Shopper, The Jersey Journal, Radio One, Random House, and 2D-X. Before entering the tech world, he attended New York University and worked in education as an art instructor. In his spare time he dabbles in theater, sketches comics, eats a lot of sushi and watches too many movies.
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